For all their miscues, it seems the Kennedys had their priorities straight all along:
“I remember my brother Jack [JFK] at the Cape in 1961 just before he went to Paris to see de Gaulle and then to Vienna to see Khrushchev. Late in the afternoon we walked over together from his house to my father’s house. There was a heavy fog coming in, and it was cool and getting dark. As we walked out across the lawn, Caroline came out of my father’s house crying. She came down off the porch and ran over to Jack. He sort of held her and talked to her with great tenderness. Just then the kitchen door opened up and someone called out, “Mr. President, they want you on the White House phone—they said it’s important.” And Jack said, “Caroline, I’ll be back in just a moment. Let me take this phone call.” Jack took the phone call and then we all went into the dining room together. As we sat down there was a silence at the coffee table and I could feel that Dad for some reason was uneasy and edgy. And then he said, “Jack, I saw what happened outside. Caroline was in tears and came out. You had a call from the White House. I know there are a lot of things on your mind about meeting with Khrushchev and your trip abroad. But let me tell you something: Nothing that will happen during your Presidency will be as important as how Caroline turns out. And don’t forget it” - Ted Kennedy, 1971 via Esquire Magazine
